How to compare two Word documents
- Drop the two DOCX files: the old version first, the new one second.
- Click Compare.
- Download the comparison document and read the changes.
Someone sent back a contract “with a few small changes”, a colleague edited your report without tracked changes, you have two drafts and cannot remember which is newer: comparing the two files by hand is slow and misses things. This tool does what Word's Review › Compare does, in your browser, and gives you a classic redline.
The text of both documents is read paragraph by paragraph, body and tables included. Paragraphs that still resemble each other are compared word by word: removed words are shown in red and struck through, added words in green and underlined. Paragraphs that were removed or inserted entirely are shown in full. The first line of the result gives the totals: paragraphs changed, added and removed, words inserted and deleted.
Only the text is compared. Formatting changes (bold, font, spacing), pictures and comments are not reported, so the redline stays readable. For contracts, check figures and dates in the summary list first, then read the paragraphs. Files are deleted after 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Which file goes first?
The old version first, the new version second. Deletions are then things that were in the old file and are gone from the new one.
Are formatting changes detected?
No, only text: words, numbers, punctuation, in the body and in tables. This keeps the comparison readable.
Can I compare a PDF with a Word file?
Convert the PDF to Word first with our PDF to Word tool, then compare the two DOCX files.
Is the result a Word document?
Yes, a .docx you can open, annotate and send back, with the deletions in red and the insertions in green.
Is it free and private?
Free, no account. Both files are deleted from the server after 30 minutes.